In a recent interview, Macomber said she has a photo of Pearl Buck on the wall of her writing turret that extols “the power of story.” To review that interview by Liz Thompson of the Bucks County Courier Times, click here.

A registration fee of $32 includes both admission and a signed copy of her latest book – Sweet Tomorrows. To register and pay online: http://www.doylestownbookshop.com.

July’s Writers Guild meeting this past Sunday was full of shared work and spirited discussion. Anne introduced a guest, Lonnie Barone, author, lecturer and editorial writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, who spoke about blogs and opinion editorials or op-eds.

On Sunday, Lonnie told us his simple 3-step formula: a hook, followed by the body or thesis, and the twist. Start by capturing the reader’s interest, tell the story, and end with something unexpected that will make the reader think. You can find Lonnie’s blog under our Resources heading entitled On Blogs and Op-eds. Continue reading “The Hook, The Body and The Twist”→

This is a blog about blogs. I blog, I’m doing it now. I also write op-eds, short essays suitable for publication on the opinion pages of newspapers or news sites. The forms are similar but distinct.

Lonnie Barone

Op-eds must conform to a set of standards established by the editors of the site or paper to which it is submitted. Typical standards may include a word limit, often 500-700 words, stylistic norms, and attribution requirements. An Op-ed usually has a thesis or central idea driving the piece. The thesis usually derives from current news or events (though not always). Continue reading “On Blogs and Op-Eds”→

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Writers of the Guild, get those poems and stories ready to share! Members and non-members are welcome at our July meeting on Sunday the 17th from 1:30 to 3:30 pm upstairs at the Cultural Center (the Red Barn) at Green Hills Farm, 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.

Bring 15 copies of any work you wish to hand out for critique. Remember to include your email address on at least one page, so others can contact you later with further comments.

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For me, the hardest part of writing a novel is the beginning. Let’s say the book I’ve been working on is finished – polished and tweaked until it shines and I can’t find one more thing to change. In reality, that never happens, but at some point I realize that I’m just tinkering: changing, but not improving this story.

It’s time to move on. So, I open a new file. I can’t think of a title. Not a problem. I’ll do that later. So … what do I type at the top of the page? Continue reading “In the Beginning”→

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If this were a map
It would be the map of the last age of her life,
Not a map of choices but a map of variations
On the one great choice.

From the poem, Dreamwood by Adrienne Rich

When you tell people you write poetry, they either are intensely interested or bored and indifferent. Sometimes, out of politeness, the latter will ask a question and I’ll try in that limited time to promote the reading and writing of poetry. I always hope to leave people with a willingness to be open to reading poems. Continue reading “One Great Choice”→

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One constant in our guild meetings is the connections we writers make with each other through our writing. A poem inspires a short story, a memoir fosters several more, or a villanous character’s doppelganger is conjured in another author’s imagination as a protagonist.

Sometimes sharing our personal experiences can create a sort of “network” effect. I have made many references at guild meetings to my recent Daughters of the American Revolution membership and my quest to visit the towns in which my ancestors lived. At our June meeting, Jane Bleam brought in a recent certificate she was given from the Bucks County Chapter of the DAR honoring her for 30 years of dedicated service.

A singular achievement, and one full of years of volunteer work on behalf of our veterans, historic preservation, and promoting patriotism. Jane has written of her childhood in a loving family, a career in nursing and her work with the Girl Scouts. We look forward to stories of her work with the DAR.

I know I speak for us all when I add: Jane, we thank you for your service!